Education – NWAnowhttp://life.nwadg.com
Moving, Visiting or Traveling to Northwest ArkansasSun, 31 Jul 2016 06:00:59 +0000en-UShourly1Montessori’s approach is hands-onhttp://life.nwadg.com/2014/07/27/montessoris-approach-is-hands-on/
http://life.nwadg.com/2014/07/27/montessoris-approach-is-hands-on/#respondSun, 27 Jul 2014 06:00:53 +0000http://now.nwaonline.com/?p=647Continue reading]]>New collections have filled Fayetteville Montessori School’s award-winning new elementary building in 2014, in its second year of existence after opening in 2012 on Colt Square in Fayetteville.
Designed by Marlon Blackwell and built by Nabholz Construction, it won the Associated Builders and Construction Award of Excellence. It is also a silver LEED building.
The concept of education at Montessori stems from the belief that human being learn critical thinking skills through discovery. Children grasp abstract concepts literally by putting their hands on them.
Teachers, parents and volunteers help children understand the guidelines of social interaction and focus on positive reinforcement of individual characteristics and talents.
“We teach a diverse curriculum to expose the children to their many gifts,” said Vicki Butler, director of education.
The organization of mixed-age classrooms instills a sense of community among the children, she said. The interest of the younger children inspires those a year or two older, and naturally the older children step up to be role models. As a result, the older children gain confidence and master the skills that they themselves are still learning. That understanding was the doctrine for construction of the new building.
Plans for another new building have been made and are in progress. The new building will include large open spaces to compensate for bad weather and will have a bridge connecting it to the new elementary building so students won’t have to cross the street, making parents’ lives less worrisome.
Teachers have been working on immersing Spanish students into the Montessori system of learning, helping them master both languages.
The old infant and toddler building is being adjusted so that it will just include infants from now on, with the toddlers moving to the building on Township Street.
Butler said anyone is welcome to see the school’s architecture, exhibits or Montessori programs. Appointments can be made by calling (479) 443-7812. More information on the school is available online at fayettevillemontessorischool.com.

]]>http://life.nwadg.com/2014/07/27/montessoris-approach-is-hands-on/feed/0Area offers variety of academic optionshttp://life.nwadg.com/2014/07/27/area-offers-variety-of-academic-options/
http://life.nwadg.com/2014/07/27/area-offers-variety-of-academic-options/#respondSun, 27 Jul 2014 06:00:48 +0000http://now.nwaonline.com/?p=643Continue reading]]>Northwest Arkansas has more than just excellent public schools, as parents have the option of placing their children in a number of charter, Montessori or private schools in the area.
Charter schools differ from public schools in the sense that they have some freedom to stray from rules that public schools have to follow, but have to produce solid results in return.
Benton County has two open-enrollment charter schools — Arkansas Arts Academy and the Northwest Arkansas Classical Academy, while Washington County has Haas Hall Academy.
Arkansas Arts Academy was formerly known as Benton County School of the Arts, and recently named Mary Ley its new chief executive officer and superintendent, replacing Paul Hines. Ley is a former art teacher and was at one time the executive director of communications and community partnerships in the Bentonville School District.
The academy is the second largest charter school in the state with an emphasis on arts and academics.
Haas Hall Academy, which currently has an exclusive campus in Fayetteville, was named the top public high school in Arkansas for the third consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report.
Superintendent Martin Schoppmeyer said that there are plans to open a second campus in Bentonville for the 2015-2016 school term, preferably in the old Powerhouse Gym on SE Walton Boulevard.
Fayetteville Montessori School has long been a fixture of Montessori education in Northwest Arkansas and recently built a new elementary building that won the Associated Builders and Construction Award of Excellence.
The concept of education at Montessori stems from the belief that human being learn critical thinking skills through discovery. Children grasp abstract concepts literally by putting their hands on them.
Others have this concept in mind as well. In June, the Northwest Arkansas Times reported that Ozark Education executive director Christine Silano was making an attempt at gaining a charter school license in Springdale.
Silano wants to open a Montessori-based school for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, and would call it Ozark Montessori Academy.
Of course, there are private schools to choose from, most notably Shiloh Christian School in Springdale, which is affiliated with Cross Church (formerly First Baptist Church of Springdale).
The private school educates approximately 1,000 students, mainly at its campus in Springdale, but also teaches preschool through first grade in Rogers at Pinnacle Hills.
About 98 percent of Shiloh Christian’s students further their education in college, and 30-plus hours of college credit are currently offered there, while their ACT scores are above both state and national averages.
There are also other Christian-affiliated private schools in Northwest Arkansas, including Fayetteville Christian School and Life Way Christian School in Centerton.
St. Joseph Catholic School in Fayetteville, operating under the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Little Rock, offers high quality education from preschool through middle school.
More information on education in the state of Arkansas is available by calling the Arkansas Department of Education at (501) 682-4475, or by visiting arkansased.org. ■

]]>http://life.nwadg.com/2014/07/27/area-offers-variety-of-academic-options/feed/0Haas Hall still the state’s top high schoolhttp://life.nwadg.com/2014/07/27/haas-hall-still-the-states-top-high-school/
http://life.nwadg.com/2014/07/27/haas-hall-still-the-states-top-high-school/#respondSun, 27 Jul 2014 06:00:48 +0000http://now.nwaonline.com/?p=649Continue reading]]>Haas Hall Academy is again at the top of the list in education.
For the third straight year, the Fayetteville-based charter high school was recently ranked No. 1 among public high schools in Arkansas by U.S. News & World Report.
The accomplishments don’t end there. Haas Hall was ranked 83rd among the best 2,000 public high schools in the nation by Newsweek. It was also ranked by the Washington Post as one of America’s most challenging schools placing in the top 1 percent for the second year in a row.
Adding to its list of recognition, Haas Hall Academy was named a higher-performing school this year by NCEA/ACT for the second year in a row. Additionally, Haas Hall was the recipient of the College Readiness Award by the Arkansas ACT Council in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and it was ranked No. 1 those years in algebra I, geometry, biology and literacy grade 11 End of Course scores.
“It’s validation of our accelerated academic programs, outstanding highly qualified faculty and engaged scholars,” said Martin Schoppmeyer, founder and superintendent of Haas Hall Academy.
Outside of the academic rankings, Haas Hall has many other accomplishments. This year, Haas Hall Academy had the 1A state champion Quiz Bowl team for the third consecutive year. The First Robotics team was invited to compete at the world championship and won the Rookie Team of the Year award. The school’s newspaper, the Haas Hall Herald, even took the state’s top award at this year’s Arkansas Scholastic Press Association conference for the second year in a row.
Haas Hall began in Farmington in 2004 and in 2009 moved to North College Avenue in Fayetteville. It was founded to provide a college-preparatory option in public education that was needed in Northwest Arkansas. Scholars, as Schoppmeyer calls them, come from all over the region and from different backgrounds. About 10 percent previously were home schooled, and the rest come from 19 school districts and six private schools, Schoppmeyer said. Haas Hall has a 100 percent graduation rate, which Schoppmeyer attributes both to the scholars and to the way the school operates.
“The scholars who choose to attend understand that this school is an accelerated, college-preparatory institution where scholars are challenged based on their academic ability, not limited to exposure of material by grade level,” Schoppmeyer said.
Haas Hall Academy operates on a semester basis rather than a calendar year, much like most colleges. Scholars take the standard core courses, but they also have options that might not be available in other public high schools, such as engineering, advanced science, mathematics, arts and humanities courses. They can even take college courses off campus. All of this gives students a feel for college life and how they can succeed at the collegiate level.
“The transition from high school to college is seamless here,” Schoppmeyer said.
Haas Hall serves eighth through 12th grades. Parents must pre-register their children, who are then chosen by a blind, anonymous lottery, Schoppmeyer said.
There are plans to open another campus in Bentonville for the 2015-2016 school term.
More information on Haas Hall Academy is available online at haashall.org.
]]>http://life.nwadg.com/2014/07/27/haas-hall-still-the-states-top-high-school/feed/0NTI offering a wide range of continuing-education optionshttp://life.nwadg.com/2014/07/27/nti-offering-a-wide-range-of-continuing-education-options/
http://life.nwadg.com/2014/07/27/nti-offering-a-wide-range-of-continuing-education-options/#respondSun, 27 Jul 2014 06:00:41 +0000http://now.nwaonline.com/?p=651Continue reading]]>With diploma programs ranging from industrial arts, allied health, business and computer information systems fields, Northwest Technical Institute has provided quality education and training to Northwest Arkansas since 1975.
NTI’s primary role is to provide educational programs to serve the training and retraining needs of those who wish to enter a recognized occupation or improve their occupational skills and knowledge so they may achieve stability or advancement in the workplace. This role is summarized in their mission statement: “Changing lives through education, training and skill development.”
Through hands-on activities and theory, the qualified instructional staff provides students the opportunity, challenge and training to meet their individual needs in today’s world of advancing technology. Industrial arts diploma programs range from electronics, ammonia refrigeration maintenance technology, diesel and truck technology, automotive service technology, collision repair technology, industrial maintenance, machine tool technology and welding.
Business and computer information systems diploma programs include accounting assistant, administrative assistant, medical office assistant, computer programmer and network technician. Allied health programs consist of practical nursing, surgical technology and certified nursing assistant programs. Financial aid is available to those who qualify.
The NTI Secondary Career Center serves public schools in Northwest Arkansas and provides high school students a chance to earn high school credit in career and technical fields at no cost to the student. More information is available by contacting Stephanie Trolinger at (479) 751-8824, extension 241.
NTI is also known for its Adult Education Center, which includes courses in GED preparation, English-language learning, United States citizenship training and digital literacy.
More information is available on NTI’s website at nwti.edu or by calling (479) 751-8824. Northwest Technical Institute is located at 709 S. Old Missouri Road in Springdale.

]]>http://life.nwadg.com/2014/07/27/nti-offering-a-wide-range-of-continuing-education-options/feed/0Springdale schools ‘teach them all’ with innovationhttp://life.nwadg.com/2014/07/27/springdale-schools-teach-them-all-with-innovation/
http://life.nwadg.com/2014/07/27/springdale-schools-teach-them-all-with-innovation/#respondSun, 27 Jul 2014 06:00:24 +0000http://now.nwaonline.com/?p=645Continue reading]]>Those looking for an innovating school district can find one in the heart of Northwest Arkansas.
In the Springdale Public School District, the second largest district in the state, seven of its schools have been designated “Schools of Innovation” to accommodate the district School of Innovation that opens in the fall of 2014.
The School of Innovation is starting with more than 200 eighth-graders who will remain in the program through their senior year of high school. A new class will be added every year. By the time these students graduate, they will also earn an Associate’s Degree, which is the equivalent of two years of college.
Springdale is one of only five districts in the United States to receive a Race To The Top grant in 2013. Utilizing the grant of more than $25 million, the district will equip all of its students with a Chromebook or iPad, so every student will have access to individualized technology.
Individualized technology goes along with Springdale’s pursuit of individualized instruction. Superintendent Jim Rollins believes in “teaching them all, whether they come from across the street or across the ocean,” and the district does it with an exceptional faculty and staff.
Springdale has the 2014 Arkansas Elementary Principal of the Year, Walker Elementary principal Dondi Frisinger. Andi Acuff at Monitor Elementary was named as the 2014 Arkansas Elementary Assistant Principal. Winning both honors in the same year is extremely rare.
Seniors at Springdale High School and Har-Ber High School received a high number of scholarship dollars in spring 2014. The schools combined for $21.6 million in scholarship offers to its graduates. Springdale High senior Yasmin Chavez was one of only two 2014 high school seniors in Arkansas to accept a scholarship offer from MIT. Har-Ber senior Rhamlee Reynolds scored a perfect 36 on his ACT and had many college offers.
Innovation leading to high achievement is a foundation of the Springdale School District.
]]>http://life.nwadg.com/2014/07/27/springdale-schools-teach-them-all-with-innovation/feed/0Passing grade: Area school officials prove they are up to the task of keeping pace with growthhttp://life.nwadg.com/2013/07/28/passing-grade-area-school-officials-prove-they-are-up-to-the-task-of-keeping-pace-with-growth/
http://life.nwadg.com/2013/07/28/passing-grade-area-school-officials-prove-they-are-up-to-the-task-of-keeping-pace-with-growth/#respondSun, 28 Jul 2013 12:00:52 +0000http://now.nwaonline.com/?p=415Continue reading]]>Northwest Arkansas’ population swelled by more than 70 percent over a 10-year period beginning in 2000, a fact not lost on school boards and other education officials across the region.
More than 435,000 people now reside in Benton and Washington counties alone. Growth has slowed some in recent years, but school districts continue to work briskly to keep pace.
Indicative measures include rezoning and new or expanding public schools.
“[Attendance at] Bentonville Public Schools is continuing to grow at a robust level every year,” said Brad Reed, district director of student services.
The district anticipates an increase of about 500 students for the 2013-14 school year, according to Reed.
In 2006, renovations to Bentonville High School added 275,000 square feet and made it a grades 9-12 campus with about 2,800 students. In October 2012, the district reported that number had grown to about 3,900.
In response to increased attendance, the district has built an elementary school, a middle school and a junior high school in the past year.
“We also have gone through extensive rezoning efforts for our K-8 students, both of the last two years,” Reed said.
Additionally, an election is set Sept. 17 on a proposed 2.9-mill tax increase in attempt to raise funds for a second high school. The school would be constructed on Gamble Road in Centerton, just south of Gamble Elementary School.
A proposed tax increase of 6.7 mills was voted down in June 2012. A district survey following the vote identified cost as the leading reason voters rejected the proposal.
Fayetteville School District also has seen a steady increase in its student body, and in 2010, voters approved a 2.75-mill property tax increase for a high school expansion, one year after a 4.9-mill proposal failed.
“We have averaged 1 percent growth over the past several years, and we don’t see that trend changing,” said Alan Wilbourn, the district’s public information officer.
Along with its 60-year-old building simply being outgrown, Fayetteville High School also was battling inadequate parking, common areas not meeting state standards and a 325-seat cafeteria that could accommodate less than 17 percent of the student body.
The expansion of the high school will occur in two phases, with an anticipated completion date of August 2015.
More information is available at fayar.net/community/newfhsindex.html.
Springdale School District also continues to see significant growth, including a 3 percent increase in enrollment since last school year, according to assistant superintendent Gary Compton.
Astute foresight provided the area with a new middle school and junior high, said Compton.
Senora Middle School opened last fall and holds 750 students in grades 6-7. Lakeside Junior High will open this school year for 750 students in grades 8-9.
“We have ample space now in the middle schools, and right now we are OK at Har-Ber and Springdale [high schools].
“The largest class in the entire school district is the kindergarten class. We are graduating 1,100 seniors and taking in 1,800 kindergartners,” Compton said.
A revised master plan submitted to state education officials in June requested two new elementary schools for the Springdale district.
The Rogers School District responded to growth expansion by building a second high school, which opened in 2009.
“This fall we are opening Rogers Technology High School, a public charter school with 300 students,” said superintendent Janie Darr.
The third high school will eventually enroll 600 students, and attendees can participate in extracurricular activities through one of the larger school campuses.
The Rogers district is also opening a new elementary school, named for Darr.
Bentonville, Fayetteville, Har-Ber, Heritage, Rogers and Springdale high schools participate in the state’s 7A-West Conference for extracurricular activities. Additional members include Siloam Springs and Van Buren high schools, along with Northside and Southside high schools in Fort Smith
]]>http://life.nwadg.com/2013/07/28/passing-grade-area-school-officials-prove-they-are-up-to-the-task-of-keeping-pace-with-growth/feed/0NTI offers wide range of continuing-education optionshttp://life.nwadg.com/2013/07/28/nti-offers-wide-range-of-continuing-education-options/
http://life.nwadg.com/2013/07/28/nti-offers-wide-range-of-continuing-education-options/#respondSun, 28 Jul 2013 12:00:51 +0000http://now.nwaonline.com/?p=417Continue reading]]>Northwest Technical Institute has spent nearly 40 years educating residents and employees in Northwest Arkansas, and the school continues to expand its education services.
The institute provides full-time diploma programs in allied health, industrial arts, and business and computer information system fields.
NTI’s Community Education program offers courses for improving skills, personal enrichment, and continuing education requirements. Day and evening short courses are available year-round. The school also works with businesses and organizations to design one-day or semester-long courses for employees.
The NTI Secondary Career Center serves public schools in Northwest Arkansas and provides high-school students a chance to earn high-school credit in career and technical fields.
NTI also is known for its Adult Education Center, which includes courses in GED preparation, English-language learning, United States citizenship training and digital literacy.
More information on NTI is available online at nwti.edu or by calling (479) 751-8824. Northwest Technical Institute is located at 709 S. Old Missouri Road in Springdale.
]]>http://life.nwadg.com/2013/07/28/nti-offers-wide-range-of-continuing-education-options/feed/0Northwest Arkansas school report cardshttp://life.nwadg.com/2013/07/28/northwest-arkansas-school-report-cards-3/
http://life.nwadg.com/2013/07/28/northwest-arkansas-school-report-cards-3/#respondSun, 28 Jul 2013 12:00:37 +0000http://now.nwaonline.com/?p=523Continue reading]]>Northwest Arkansas has a number of bragging rights when it comes to education. Top test scores, great attendance and low
dropout rates are some of the achievements of area schools.
Benton and Washington counties have 17 public school districts, including three charter schools. They range in size from the 316-student Haas Hall Academy Charter School in Fayetteville to the more than 18,000-student Springdale School District, according to the Arkansas Department of Education.
The Arkansas General Assembly approved a school-choice law in 2003 that requires all of the state’s school districts to accept students who don’t live in their boundaries. But the regulation doesn’t require districts to accept those students if it means adding buildings or teachers.
Several of the region’s school boards passed guidelines for complying with the law that states they won’t accept transfers when their enrollments reaches 85 percent of existing building capacity.
That’s why few, if any, students living outside the boundaries of Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale are approved each year to attend those districts, which struggle to keep up with growing enrollments.
School district boundaries don’t follow municipal lines, so school officials urge home buyers on cities’ edges to pull property tax records before buying a house to make sure they know which school districts their children will attend.
A quick way to compare Arkansas districts and individual schools is to download their Report Cards, which are lists of statistics released each year by the state. Those are available at: www.arkansased.org/testing/ test_scores.html
]]>http://life.nwadg.com/2013/07/28/northwest-arkansas-school-report-cards-3/feed/0Montessori school offers hands-on approach to learninghttp://life.nwadg.com/2013/07/28/montessori-school-offers-hands-on-approach-to-learning/
http://life.nwadg.com/2013/07/28/montessori-school-offers-hands-on-approach-to-learning/#respondSun, 28 Jul 2013 12:00:30 +0000http://now.nwaonline.com/?p=521Continue reading]]>A new addition and faculty members, along with an architectural award, have given Fayetteville Montessori School a lot to celebrate in the past year.
The school, located on Colt Square in Fayetteville, opened a new elementary addition in 2012. Designed by Marlon Blackwell and built by Nabholz Construction, it won the Associated Builders and Construction Award of Excellence.
The concept of education at Montessori stems from the belief that human beings learn critical thinking skills through discovery. Children grasp abstract concepts by literally putting their hands on them.
Teachers, parents and volunteers help children understand the guidelines of social interaction and focus on positive reinforcement of individual characteristics and talents.
“We teach a diverse curriculum to expose the children to their many gifts,” said Vicki Butler, director of education.
The organization of mixed-age classrooms instills a sense of community among the children, she said. The interest of the younger children inspires those a year or two older, and naturally the older children step up to be role models. As a result, the older children gain confidence and master the skills that they themselves are still learning. That understanding was the doctrine for construction of the award-winning elementary building.
Learning isn’t confined to indoors. Students, faculty and volunteers have taken on several projects outside the structure as well. The new school building features a succulent roof, new rain garden and raised beds along the playground, where the children have planted fruits and vegetables. The gardens also include fruit trees, such as apple, cherry and pear trees. The school’s students tend and harvest the gardens. The school also rebuilt its playground, thanks to local volunteers.
The school’s success led to the closure in June of two elementary classrooms and the opening of an upper-elementary classroom for ages 8-12. The newest classroom is taught by Jitka Arseneau, formerly of Czechoslovakia, a seven-year veteran of Montessori instruction. Another instructor, Emily Johnson, recently completed her Montessori elementary training in San Diego.
The new Montessori building plays host to artistic performances and educational displays — some featuring preserved animals and sea life, shells and skeleton collections. Recently, the school started a summer camp with new programs in art and science. It is an addition to the school’s current outdoor-skills camp.
Butler said anyone is welcome to see the school’s architecture, exhibits or Montessori programs. Appointments can be made by calling (479) 443-7812. More information on the school is available online at fayettevillemontessorischool.com.

Amber Kruth of NWA Media contributed to this article.

]]>http://life.nwadg.com/2013/07/28/montessori-school-offers-hands-on-approach-to-learning/feed/0Springdale schools ‘Teach Them All’ with four-pillar approachhttp://life.nwadg.com/2013/07/28/springdale-schools-teach-them-all-with-four-pillar-approach/
http://life.nwadg.com/2013/07/28/springdale-schools-teach-them-all-with-four-pillar-approach/#respondSun, 28 Jul 2013 12:00:28 +0000http://now.nwaonline.com/?p=519Continue reading]]>Serving nearly 22,000 students from prekindergarten through 12th grade, Springdale Public School District is the fastest-growing and second-largest school district in Arkansas.
Despite the remarkable growth the district has experienced in the last dozen years, Springdale schools continues its primary goal to “Teach Them All.”
In his 32nd year as superintendent, Jim Rollins has utilized four foundational pillars to keep the district on the cutting edge of public education.
First and foremost is student achievement. Evidence of the superb work done from the elementary stages to high school is the $18.2 million in scholarship offers earned in 2013 by graduates of the district’s two high schools — Springdale High and Har-Ber.
Providing a safe environment is vital, and all 28 Springdale schools are equipped with entrance mechanisms that screen all visitors. Plus, all four middle schools, four junior highs and both high schools have student resource officers provided by the Springdale Police Department.
Springdale School District also features individualized instruction as evidenced by its EAST (Environmental and Spatial Technology) programs at five schools, its academies at Springdale High, its International Baccalaureate programs at Springdale High and two elementary schools, and advanced technology in every classroom. And, extracurricular opportunities abound throughout the district.
Finally, Springdale believes in partnerships. District schools are connected with more than 150 businesses through the Partners In Education program.
Innovative, progressive, technologically equipped and providing an open invitation for parental involvement, Springdale Public Schools provide top-quality education for all students.
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